Truss for vehicles.



1;..C. BLUHM.

IRUSS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION, nuzo 05c. 23. ms.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

mom/5Y5 IQQZCZI JOHN G. .BLUHM, 0F WE-S'IVILLE, INDIANA TRUBS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Febl 18, 1919.

Application filed December 23, 1916. Serial No. 188,547.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jonn C. BLUHM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westville, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Trusses for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a truss for vehicles and is more particularly desi ed for use upon automobiles and automobile trucks for reinforcing the running boards and fenders of the same, though my invention is not limited to this specific use as the same is equally applicable to other vehicles for reinfprcmg the steps, running boards and fenders of buggies, carria es and the like.

One of the aims 0 my invention is to produce a truss for reinforcing the running boards and fenders of vehicles to prevent vibration and sagging thereof, as well as to restore the running boards and fenders to normal condition that have become sagged or distortedfrom any cause.

A further aim 0% my invention is to produce a truss provided with means for readily applying the same to an automobile or other vehicle regardless of the construction of the frame and its adjacent accessories.

A further aig'n of my invention is to provide a truss fwith means for adjustably mountinp the dime upon vehicles so asto accommodate the truss to vehicles of different forms and dimensions; and to also provide the truss with means so that the same may be efficiently applied to vehicles having parts lying in a plane below the plane of the steps or running boards of the vehicles.

These and other objects and advantages will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is more clearly understood from the following specification, the subject-matter of the claim, am] the views illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

, Figure 1 is a side elcvationof the truss showing the same applied to afvehicle, the frame and the running boards of the vehicle being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly modified form of the truss.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing a sh htly modified form of the means for attac ing the truss tothe frame of the vehicle.

I desire to here state that for the sake of olearness and convenience in illustrating and describin my invention I have only shown and will describe such parts of the vehicle as will enable others to -clcarly understand the construction, use and application of my invention.

eferring to the drawings, wherein similar reforence characters are employed to denote corresponding parts, 1 denotes the frame of the vehicle, which may he a solid bar frame or a channel iron frame as shown, and ZJenotes the running boards of the vehicle eommonly .employed and which running boards 2 carry at. their ends, in the usual manner, fenders (not shown), the

running boards 2 being supported upon the frame 1 by the usual straight or arched brace rods 3.

The truss constituting my invention consists of the bar 4, which is positioned transversely of the vehicle and has its ends secured to the under sides of the running boards 2'through the medium of the bolts 5, or other suitable securing means. However, the ends of the bar 4 may be secured to the running boards 2 through the medium of the bolts which secure the outer ends of the brace rods 3 to the running boards 2 if so desired.

Secured upon the bar 4 at suitable points from its ends are the threaded ends 6 of the'tension rods 7, the threaded ends 6 of the tension rods 7 being ndjustably mounted upon the bar 4 through illit'lflfllllllli of the pairsof adjusting nuts 8 upon each of the tension rods 7, the nuts of each pair being positioned at o )posite sides of the bar 4. For attaching t 1e rods 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to the frame 1 of the vehicle, the rods 7 are provided at their u )per ends with the substantially inverted lJ-shaped hook members}; which embrace and bear upon the upper surfaces of the frame 1 and are supported thereby, that is, the tension rods 7 support the bar 4 upon the frame 1 which in turn supports the running boards 2 secured upon the ends thereof.

The bar 4 shown in Fig. 1 is a straight bar and is sufficient for ordinary purposes, but in vehicles, and especially certain makes of 1 parts oi tho vohiclonvhirh lio below the;

i this instance aulaomobilea and trucks, there are certain plane of tho slrpsor running boards tlu-root' and to min )1; my truss to vehicles of this lat-- ter class I (ma the bar A with tho doprrssd member or yoke 10, the only difl'oronrrs in the construction of Fig. 1 and the ooualzrnction of Fig. :2 is the depressed member or yoke 10 formed in the bar 4 and the loo h of the tons-ion rods 7.

n l iiz. 3 I have shown a slightly difi'orent manner of attaching the tension rods Tlao the; fraino I of the vehicle whereby to unidenmy invention elliciently applicable to the frame of a vehiole'whereijn the. surrounding noses sories of the framo 1 will not admit of the employment of tho hoolrmomhors 9 or the lnsio'lirods i slimy-11in Fig 1 and Equal In 311mm 'Fi with 'tho an' glo a 1a 1 1',

as Y ha ms 11 Will Engage a p mrtrd by the upprr surfaces of tho lower angle member of the frame 1, and to .pztoventltho. mans "lrLof the. transom-rods 7 from becoming disongugrd fromthr. frame 1 ll yntl iltfillll movement employ the substantially Z-slmped brackets 12 lnrving one of thoir stems ongagin {the outer sin-fare of the frame 11 and its obier stem' scoured to tho upper portions of the ton: on redo? through lfl'le nedium of U-bolts or the ordinary bolts 13 and the clanipingplates 14.

preferably construct the'diar -l of solid mofal, but I may construct the same of anv forin of angle iron or steel or of. hard wood. and Hi0 variorio pn rlsof my t-russ ma v ho forn od of any, suitable dimensions and nu-n lror o firn'sso's made, in ac wrdami'o with m urination ,nniybe employed, ll l at th H if; found necessary and lobe oiiiployorl zflid 'atltnohd fo the under sides of tho running boards 2 at an} suitablr and dosira-hlr points.

My truss when ("arr-fully applivd and adjuatrd upon a vrhirlo \vill olliciont ly prevent olijrrtional vibration oi the running boards and fondrrs, which vibration is conveyed to the body of tho. whirlo to thoannoyanco. of the occupants therein, and as my truss rliminatv lhis objorlional feature the body of the vohirlu is unall'ootod and groatrr case of riding nnulo possible.

.Anotlwr loal'uro of my invention is that the truss absolntrly prrvrnts any sagging or distortion of tho. |-unnin,9 boards and. the frndorn from any cause or amofln t of weight placed thorron and againnvhen my truss is nmili'od lo a vr-liirlo wherein the running boards and fgndors havr her-0mg saggml the 7 same inn ho lasts-red to normal oondition'by bar upon the on rods I through 'thli'iiiiiunauf the ad- 51181113}! nuts upon the threaded ends of tho tension rods.

rig ll' angular arms upon the ugper ends of said supporting rods for overhanging tho luwllllllihi flange mmnbrrs ofsaid which l'rumr and atrhr inner sides thereof, substantially Z-shaped ln'arkrthaving our of illqil lllyllll ilfiHlilllill to said roda and't-hoir othrr nunnhors engaging the lllldll' far-v5 and oulor si'dvs of the vrhirlr ffiil'iio for maintaining the angle a-rnna of said supporting rods in operative position upon thovehicle llama. V x

In tostimonyfvvh roof I have signed m nainr to lllis specification in the presence of hvo subsi'i'iliing \vit nessrs,

JOHN C. BLUHM.

- \l'itnessrs:

' a. R. CASS,

R. \V. STREET. 

